Reunited   A Gorillaz Story Chapter 9
by charuchan
Summary: After a brutal beating from Murdoc, 2D lays on the line between life and death. What will happen at the hospital?  light language, alcohol use, substance abuse, light violence


Noodle stared through the operating room glass, watching as doctors tried to heal 2D. He was so nearly gone on the way here, but the doctors managed to keep him alive. Noodle's eyes were red with tears. She watched the doctors connect 2D to an oxygen tank and stick an IV line in his wrist.

A tear rolled down the guitarist's cheek. Why would Murdoc do something like this? Suddenly, a doctor put his hand on her shoulder, making her jump. "Oh, I'm sorry," the doctor apologized for scaring her. "Hello, my name is Dr. Nguyen." Noodle politely shook his hand and said, "Hello, my name is…Noodle."

Dr. Nguyen looked at her. "That's an interesting name. Do you have a last name?"

"No," Noodle said plainly. "Is…he going to be okay?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Dr. Nguyen gestured to a row of chairs against a wall. Noodle sat down in a chair, and the doctor sat next her. "First off, what is his name?"

"2D," Noodle told him. Dr. Nguyen stared at her.

"If that's his nickname, could you tell me his real name?"

Noodle thought. He never used his real name, but this is a hospital. She tried to remember what he had told her his name was. "I think it's…um, it's…Stuart. Stuart Pot."

Dr. Nguyen smiled. "Full name. Middle, too."

"I think his full name is…Stuart…Harold…Pot. Yeah, that sounds right."

Dr. Nguyen wrote something on his clipboard. "All right. Stuart Harold Pot. Date of birth and age?"

"May 23, 1978. Age 33," Noodle said. Dr. Nguyen nodded and wrote on his clipboard again. "And if you're wondering…I'm, um…his girlfriend."

The doctor rose his eyebrows at her. "You're his…girlfriend? Miss, how old are you?"

"21."

Dr. Nguyen huffed. A thirteen year age difference. Shaking his head to cast off the idea, he explained to Noodle, "Stuart, or 2D, has developed respiratory problems and his heartbeat is very slow and quiet. It almost looks as if someone strangled him. His back is also extremely bruised, and he may need surgery. Stuart's arms are bruised as well, and the bones look almost…twisted. The gash on his face won't need stitches, but it will need some patching up. It would be very helpful if you explained to me what caused all this."

Noodle was choking back tears. She couldn't tell the whole story, could she? Maybe just what Murdoc did to him. "Ok, so…we're in a band, Gorillaz, and the bassist, Murdoc Niccals, is…very abusive. He found out about…us…and nearly killed 2D. I didn't really see the whole thing, but I think he was strangling 2D. And jumping on his back. And twisting his arms. And kicking him in the face. And el-"

Dr. Nguyen stopped Noodle there. "Ok, that's enough information for now. '2D' will live, but it might take a while for him to fully heal. Anyway, we think-wait, you're in Gorillaz?" Dr. Nguyen asked.

Noodle nodded. "Yeah, 2D sings, I play guitar, Russel's drums, and Murdoc is bass. You know us?"

"Well, yes…I, uh, used to be a big fan. But I thought you guys broke up….Ok, back to work. Sorry. Thank you for your time," the doctor said. Noodle shook his hand as he got up and walked back into the operating room. She put her face in her hands tiredly. Russel looked into the hospital through the front doors. People ran away quickly.

"Noods? Are you okay?" Russel asked.

Noodle looked up in shock. "Huh? What…Yeah, I'm-I'm fine, Russ."

Russel looked at her lovingly. "How's 'D? What did the doc say?"

"He might need back surgery," Noodle told him. "He'll survive but he said it's going to take a while. He's…he's hardly breathing." She looked at the operating room, at 2D, with a clear tube in his nose, connected to an oxygen tank. Her voice cracked. "I love him so much…." A small tear silently fell from her eye. Sniffling, Noodle got up and walked towards the glass. Doctors still scrambled around 2D, who was still deeply unconscious.

His heart rate, it was…so slow. Noodle was terrified. Terrified that it would go from slow…to none at all. She didn't want to lose him. She couldn't lose him. The doctors cleaned up around the room, obviously finished. A nurse rolled 2D out into the hallway and into a different room. Noodle ran after her.

"Ma'am!" Noodle called. The nurse turned. "Can…can I see him? I'm his girlfriend. "

"Well, I suppose you could. He probably won't be waking up anytime soon though." The nurse led Noodle into the room. "Be careful."

Noodle nodded and crouched beside the bed. She took the singer's cold hand. Stroking his azure blue hair, she said, "2D, if you can hear me, I want you to know that…I really do love you. I love you more than my own life. If you die on me, if you can't pull through…I'll die. So please…please stay with me…." Noodle kissed his hand. She put her head down on the bed. Then, something amazing happened….

Noodle felt 2D…squeeze her hand. Quickly picking her head up, Noodle stared at her hand. "Nurse! Doctor! Someone, quick! Get in here!" Noodle screamed.

Dr. Nguyen and the nurse that let Noodle in ran into the room. "What's wrong?" Dr. Nguyen asked.

Noodle was crying tears of joy. "He…he squeezed my hand! He's okay! 2D knows I'm here. I was talking to him! He heard me!"

Dr. Nguyen and the nurse stared at her, puzzled. "What are you talking about? That's…not possible," the doctor said.

"No, no…he did! He heard me! He's okay….he squeezed my hand!" Noodle said, smiling ear to ear through her tears. "He's going to be okay…."

Dr. Nguyen glanced at the nurse, who was frozen in shock, then looked back at Noodle. "Doctor…should I escort her out?" she asked.

"Yes, I think so, Mary," he answered, still staring at Noodle. The nurse nodded and walked over to the guitarist.

"NO! I won't leave him!" Noodle held onto 2D's hand tight, refusing to move. "He wants me here! He needs me!" The nurse was trying to lift Noodle away from the bedside, but Noodle was smacking the nurse's hands away.

"Security!" the nurse shouted. People filed into the hospital room, peeling Noodle away from the side of the bed.

Noodle flailed and screamed profanities and threatened and cried and protested, but nothing worked. The security men threw her outside. Noodle got back up and flattened herself against the glass doors, pounding on them.

"LET ME IN! I NEED TO STAY WITH HIM!" she screamed.

"Stop, or we'll call the police!" the men threatened. Noodle gave one last frustrated pound on the glass, grunted, and rested her forehead on the doors. She sobbed and sobbed. "Don't go, D. I love you…."

Murdoc woke up in his destroyed bedroom, nose and mouth bleeding. He grunted and rubbed his head. "God, what happened…?" Getting up, Murdoc glanced around his room. Then, he realized something.

"Where is that little twit! I'm not finished with him!" Murdoc screamed. He scrambled around the house, searching for 2D. "Noodle! Russel! Faceache!"Where were they?

Suddenly, Muds heard Russel's huge pounding footsteps outside. Running to the window, Murdoc saw Russel walking towards the house with Noodle slouching on his head. Noodle caught his eye and stared at him in disgust and anger.

Russel lifted Noodle off of his head, and Noodle sprinted angrily towards the house. Flinging the door open, Noodle stood fuming in the doorway with clenched fists. Murdoc waved mockingly at her…big mistake.

"YOU JERK! YOU'RE SUCH A BASTARD!" Noodle screamed, charging at him violently. She kneed Muds in the groin. Murdoc fell to the ground in pain. "2D IS IN THE HOSPITAL, ON THE VERGE OF DEATH!" Noodle kicked Murdoc's shin. "YOU HORRIBLE, DISGUSTING, RUDE, GREEDY, SELF-CENTERED WART!"

"Noods! Stop! Don't stoop to his level!" Russel warned. But it was too late. Noodle was on a rampage of madness and revenge.

Lifting Murdoc off the ground and pinning him to the wall, Noodle said, "I hate you! How could you do this to me? To HIM! He's PRACTICALLY DYING!" Angry tears tumbled out of Noodle's eyes. Releasing Murdoc, Noodle turned and ran to her bedroom in agony.

Murdoc lay crumbled against a wall. Russel looked into the house. "You just never stop, do ya Muds? Ya don't get it." He moved away in disgust and disappointment.

"Damn…," Murdoc grunted. "She's freaking mad." A tear rolled down his cheek. Shocked, Murdoc caught the tear with his finger and stared at it. _Am I…_crying? Murdoc thought to himself. Then, he shut his eyes, and cried himself to sleep.


End file.
